JFKACA luncheon series
Luncheons give cargo companies opportunities to share info
BY JEFF YAPALATER
The JFK Air Cargo
Association (JFKACA) recent
monthly luncheon featured
Russi Batiwala, CEO of
Chapman Freeborn.
The JFKACA strives to
bring a noted speaker in
monthly to provide a glimpse
of a cargo company by one of
their company executives.
Each presentation provide
valuable insights and also
business leads to member of
the association.
Russi’s presentation
opened with a short video of
how Chapman Freeborn is
involved in humanitarian air
lifts. In fact, Russi described
how this cargo charter
business originally developed
from the Berlin airlift decades
ago and has continued over
time.
Now the freighter cargo
charter business has expanded
into entertainment. For
example, the large number of
staging, people and equipment
that is needed to be moved
16 AIRPORT VOICE, MARCH 2019
from one country to another
requires the use of a freighter.
In addition to the group’s
core aircraft charter and
leasing activities, Russi has
overseen the strengthening
of the company’s portfolio of
subsidiary businesses which
include hand-carry specialist
Chapman Freeborn OBC,
animal transport company
Intradco Global, and fl ight
operations provider Wings 24.
The group was further
enhanced earlier this year
with the acquisition of a
majority shareholding
in Magma Aviation – a
specialist air cargo company
operationally managing B747-
400F aircraft.
He describes himself as
someone who is constantly
moving, always looking
for the next opportunity
and developing new ideas.
He added: “Diversity and
innovation are crucial to
the survival of a business –
standing still has certainly
never been an option.”
Today, Russi is still
ALFIE ARROWSMITH, VP CARGO AMERICAS AND RUSSI BATILWAWA, CEO OF CHAPMAN FREEBORN WAS
PRESENTED AN HONORY RECOGNITION AWARD FROM PRESIDENT JOE BADAMO AND BOARD MEMBER
PHIL JENSEN. PHOTO BY JEFF YAPALATER
actively involved in the day-today
business of the group and
remains passionate about the
industry and its people. Since
2015 he has also served on
the TIACA board of directors
and helps the association to
promote the interests of the
air cargo sector as a whole.
Air Cargo Preident Joe
Badamo has been heading the
organization for many years
and works with the Board to
make sure that companies
across the cargo spectrum
have the opportunituy to
share info and network with
other cargo professionsls.